


stupid tf2 fanfic

by fiore_mel



Category: Team Fortress 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-09-22 09:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiore_mel/pseuds/fiore_mel
Summary: some background on my tf2 oc liesel (fritz) contains oc x canon shipping, there will be hints towards nsfw content





	1. Liesel Marie Edelstein

Liesel Marie Edelstein. A woman raised in the luxuries of the Viennese aristocracy, the middle child out of six other boys, cold and dedicated to her job. This woman was no average rich lady, there was more to her than her frigid demeanor, looks, and mystery. She hid a secret that her own family tried desperately to smother. From a young age, Liesel seemed infatuated with fire, even to extent of burning her fingers as a child. The priests blamed her obsession on the works of the Devil himself, the Edelstein’s wanting to hide this blemish on their porcelain perfect status decided it was best to send their only daughter off to live with nuns until she was deemed “cured” of her illness. Although obedient, Liesel always seemed to question the logistics of why the nuns carried on with their rituals. The young girl was eager to learn and cooperate, but just as eager to question her superiors. As she grew, she learned how to suppress the urges she had with fire and eventually was able to return to the Edelstein estate. 

 

Liesel thought about her beginnings as she sat in the plane on the way to her destination, she had been sentenced to a special sort of punishment. Her crime? Destroying a whole courthouse and its vault full of cases and private documents from people who had been reviewed by the court. Some blamed it on her poor mental health, others blamed it on the irrational behaviors of women. Either way, it had cost her the job she had invested so deeply into. 

“Edelstein….Edelstein….”

What would the punishment entail? She wondered, torture? Something the Austrian government kept for the worst criminals?

“Edelstein?!”

Liesel turned to the guard accompanying her, how long had he been calling her name? “Apologies...what is it?”

The man sighed exasperatedly, “We’re almost here, get your documents ready.” He responded.

She bit her lip, anxiety bubbling in her gut. Liesel shuffled the papers in her lap a bit, straightening them out. As the plane landed, Liesel’s hope for her future diminished. The landscape looked angry and dead, quite different from her homeland. The sweltering heat permeated from the sunburnt soil of New Mexico.

“Welcome to the Badlands Miss Edelstein.” The guard commented as the plane slowed to a halt.

The woman looked around more at the arid landscape of the Badlands. Was this where Austria sent their worst criminals? Was this like Guantanamo Bay but in the middle of nowhere? Her thoughts raced as she was escorted off the plane, her hands still cuffed. The men took her into an unlabeled tan van and sat her down. None of the men spoke or even made eye contact with her as they drove. Liesel gulped as she finally mustered up the courage to break the painful silence.

“Where are you taking me?” Liesel asked, her voice quavering.

“Teufort Miss, your final destination.


	2. Godspeed, Miss Edelstein.

The base was quiet for once, quiet except for the scattered small talk taking place in the living area. Dell often opted to keep to himself but found the small talk rather interesting for once. 

“Didja hear? We’re gettin’ a Pyro of our own!” Scout exclaimed. The young man had only been here for a little over seven months, but he seemed to have adjusted well to the environment.

“Where do ya think he’ll be from?” Demoman asked as he took a small swig of the whiskey in his hand.

“I bet he’ll be a pure hearted American!” Soldier beamed.

Dell chuckled to himself shaking his head a bit, he himself was curious to see who their Pyro would be. That is if their Pyro would even  _ let _ himself be seen. For most of RED and BLU’s history, Pyro’s were mostly masked. One may argue that they should stay that way, after all they’re capable of creating horrific deaths, seemingly basking in the destruction and chaos fire brings. At the same time, Dell always found this trope odd. He scratched at his chin before walking back to his room, which also doubled as his workspace. Whoever the Pyro would be, he just hoped they’d help his team, rather than bring them down.

 

Liesel was rudely awoken by the slamming of brakes, her eyes shot open as she sat up frantically. There seemed to be no imminent threat, perhaps the guards wanted to get a kick out of seeing her frightened. Liesel grumbled and sat back into the chair crossing her arms.

“Here we are, Mann Co.’s Recruiting Office.” The driver disclosed as he parked the car properly. The building wasn’t too big but wasn’t small either. The men lead her to the building and walked her through the halls before getting to an office.

“Administrator.” Liesel read aloud. She raised a brow in confusion, did they accidentally send her to an office job hiring? Liesel chuckled a bit to herself as the men knocked and opened the door, pushing her through.

“Ah, Miss Edelstein. I’ve been waiting for you…” A smooth and feminine yet intimidating voice purred out. 

The woman was older, wearing a purple suit dress. A cigarette was firmly planted between her thin lips, colored with a wine red lipstick. She must’ve been beautiful when she was younger, now not so much.

“Have a seat Miss Edelstein, our discussion will be short.”

The ending to that sentence alone had Liesel feeling weak. She sat down in the chair at the front of the woman’s desk.

“Hand me your documentation please, I already know all I need to know about you I just need a record of them on file.”

How on Earth did she know  _ everything _ ? Did she know about her secret? Liesel prayed that she didn’t as the woman carefully shuffled through the small stack of papers.

“Would you like to elaborate on your obsession with fire Miss Edelstein?” The woman set down the papers on her desk, putting out her cigarette. 

Liesel froze up, clutching the hem of her skirt a bit as she stared into the woman’s cold green eyes. Liesel quickly took notice of the awkward silence and cleared her throat. It was suddenly very dry.

“W-Well...ever since I was a child, I was known for burning things. It’s like this itch I have, the longer it stays untouched the more uncomfortable it gets. I mostly get the urges in times when I feel there is no control. Or when I feel anxious and panicked.” She looked away. “I’ve worked against it all my life but-”

“But you burned down an entire courthouse including the thousands of cases and sentencing.” The woman interjected abruptly, seeming to know what Liesel was getting to.

She nodded slowly looking back up at the older woman. She looked down at a clipboard on her desk and wrote a few notes.

“I want you to let it loose now.” The woman remarked, still not taking her eyes off the clipboard and the paper she was writing on.

Liesel’s mind shattered into fractals, everything she had been taught, was now being discarded. 34 years of being told no, completely thrown away.

“Why?” She meant to keep the question to herself, but she genuinely wanted to know about what this woman wanted from her.

“I thought you’d never ask Miss Edelstein.” The woman leaned in closer to Liesel, her cold beady eyes gouged into her very being as she paused. “The court has assigned you to this job due to the nature of your very being. You are a hazard to the people you once abided by, therefore they found it fit to send you here. You’ll be assigned to the Reliable Excavation and Demolition team, or for short, RED. There are nine classes of mercenaries who are also employed under me, another nine on the enemy team. The Builders League United, or BLU. The RED team is short a class and we needed someone to fill in this spot Miss Edelstein, we found you the most fit for this class.” The woman seemed to pause for a bit, looking away. “You will become RED’s Pyrotechnician, or Pyro for short.” 

Liesel seemed to sink a bit in her chair, why was this woman embracing her illness? Instead of hiding it or smothering it. “Over the course of Mann Co.’s history, there has only been one other woman who has worked for us, with our new set of mercs, we hope to incorporate more opportunities for women in this company.” She bent down and retrieved another set of papers then handed them to Liesel. “Your medic will fill this examination sheet for you. This paper here is your contract you will sign with us, normally, you’d have a say in whether you sign or not. But you are court ordered, so please sign this for me.” The woman reached for a pen and handed it to Liesel. She reluctantly plucked the pen from the woman’s cold bony fingers and signed her name at the bottom. Suddenly, she was grabbed by the forearms. The woman chuckled sinisterly.

“Godspeed, Miss Edelstein.”

There was a metallic thud, then darkness.


	3. Welcome to RED

An intense ringing filled the cavity of her head as she slowly came to. Shapes surrounded her, words were muffled by the blunt force trauma she had experienced. Besides her head being absolutely wrecked, the base of her skull stung slightly. Liesel groaned as she sat up slowly, the shapes around her backed away. Perhaps this was some sort of weird dream and not actually reality.

“A girl? Since when does Mann Co. hire girls?” Scout exclaimed.

“There is small woman in purple.” Heavy answered.

“Yeah yeah, but I mean like since when do they hire women to fight?” The young man blinked a few times as he watched her rub the back of her neck. The men muttered as they examined this new teammate closely. She didn’t look old but didn’t look young either, her face was dotted with freckles with a few fine wrinkles around her mouth. Her hair was an ashy blonde color and was long, draping over her shoulders. The woman was well dressed but handcuffed. They wondered what she could’ve done to end up here because there was no way she willingly signed up for this job.

Liesel groaned and blinked as her vision cleared. Eight men, all surrounding her as if she was an alien who had just crash landed into their home. One of the men clapped happily.

“Finally! An untouched canvas!” He cheered with joy while adjusting the glasses on his face.

She recognized his accent, he was German. She inspected the man a bit longer until interrupted by his voice.

“You haven’t been experimented on, right?” He asked scooching closer to her face.

Liesel wrinkled her nose, eyes wide as she looked around frantically.

“...No.” She answered hesitantly. The man laughed and stood up.

“Ah! You give me the same joy a child gets when he comes down the stairs on Christmas morning!” He fixed his tie and brushed off his pants.

“Yes. Except this lady was thrown into the living room.” A much larger man added, he was bald and definitely looked like a force to be reckoned with.

“I don’t like this.” A quiet yet deep voice grumbled from the corner. Liesel turned towards the voice to find a tall lanky man leaned against a wall. “I don’t fight with Sheilas.” He sneered as he turned towards the door to leave.

Liesel raised a brow in confusion and was about to speak up until another man thrust his face rather close to hers.

“State your business Maggot!” The man barked. His eyes were covered by a helmet that didn’t seem very secure on his head. How was he able to see?

“I-I...uh-”

“You sound like a communist already Jane!”

“I’m not a communist I’m-”

“WHICH BASE DID YOU COME FROM?! FRITZ!”

Liesel’s head hurt too much to understand the screaming at first. After a few seconds of angry silence, she answered.

“I’m from Austria, and my name isn’t Fritz or Jane it’s-”

“WRONG ANSWER, KRAUT! WE ALREADY HAVE AN AUSTRALIAN AND HE IS A MAN! I HAVE SEEN THE PROOF WITH MY OWN TWO EYES!” The loud man pulled out a shotgun and pumped it before pointing it at her. “I believe that this good for nothing is a spy, men!” The man with the glasses quickly yanked the shotgun away from the rage-fueled man and got in between them.

“Do _not_ harm my specimen Soldier!” The guy with the glasses shoved him away and huffed helping Liesel up.

“Terribly sorry _mein freund_ , our Soldier here isn’t exactly the sharpest scalpel on the tray.” He smiled at her waiting for her to respond, Liesel just stared at him wide-eyed.

“ _Ich nehme an, Sie sind unser neuer Rekrut!”_

She felt a bit comforted by her native tongue being spoken, she loosened her shoulders and sighed.

“ _Ja…”_ She handed him the paperwork she was given, it was still in her hand miraculously. God knows how she had been brought to the base. Thrown in apparently.

“Come with me then…” The man paused as he scanned the top of her profile. “ _Frau Edelstein!_ ”

Liesel nodded hesitantly as she followed the man.

  
As the two walked down one of the concrete corridors of the building, Medic would find himself looking back at her. He was also intrigued as to why the Administrator would choose to hire a woman for this position. Was she trying to test them? He peered back down at the file, it had her basic backstory written down. _“Born to a wealthy family, from Vienna, Austria, a possible pyromaniac.”_ His eyebrows raised at the pyromaniac part. _“Burned down an entire courthouse and its vault.”_ Once inside the lab, he set down the papers and fished the exam form from the stack. “Just have a seat on the exam table, _bitte_.” Liesel did as she was told and sat down, her hands resting on her lap. Medic whistled as he searched for his pick locking kit. “I forgot to introduce myself earlier, couldn’t do it because you were out cold!” He laughed jovially as he retrieved the kit. “I am Ludwig Humboldt but the team just calls me by my class name, Medic.” The handcuffs unlocked and fell to the ground. “In fact, that's how it is here! We’re called by our class names.” He pulled a tray full of medical equipment towards the two along with a stool. Medic plopped himself onto the stool and cleared his throat. “Anyways, I’ll have you change into this examination gown now, you can stay in your undergarments. Then we’ll do a cognitive test on you. Then! You can go and bond with our team!” He tossed the thin gown to her and grinned.

“Welcome to RED.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mein freund - My Friend  
> Ich nehme an, Sie sind unser neuer Rekrut! - I suppose you are our new recruit!  
> Ja - Yes  
> Frau - Miss/Madame  
> Bitte - Please


	4. Schluchtenscheisser

The examination wasn’t bad, just like any doctor’s check-up. Medic seemed quite nice besides the slightly sadistic tendencies Liesel noticed. She was given two additional outfits along with her uniform. The uniform consisted of a red asbestos suit with what she assumed was her class emblem on both of the upper sleeves, two pairs of thick rubber boots with a tough metal alloy in the toes, fireproof gloves, and finally a gas mask. A creepy one. Liesel set the uniform aside to store properly later, the other two outfits were casual outfits. They consisted of plain dark brown pants, a red crewneck, a red t-shirt, and regular combat boots. Liesel decided it would be best if she got out of the neat and semi-fancy clothing she was wearing and put on the crewneck sweatshirt and pants. She braided her shoulder-length hair and started to walk back to the living area.

“She’s going to give us a disadvantage!”

Liesel stopped before entering the room, hiding behind the corner to eavesdrop instead.

“She seems like a cooperative person, but physically she might not be able to keep up with the rest of us.”

She recognized that voice, it was the doctor who examined her.

“Like I said, don’t fight with Sheilas…”

Liesel chewed on her lip, she didn’t even want to be here but their comments stung. They reminded her of the comments her own family and her peers would make towards her. All her life, Liesel strived to be better than her brothers. To not be the stereotypical wallflower type, to be an educated and smart woman. She had worked hard to become a lawyer, and now she had to start from scratch. The thought infuriated her.

“I say we send Fritz back!” 

That man’s voice alone made her storm into the living area.

“Unfortunately for you men, I’m stuck here with you. So sorry.” Liesel sneered sarcastically as she sat at one of the stools. The men just looked at each other, occasionally looking back at her. Liesel raised a brow at them. “So? When are you going to show me the ropes of your program? Will I be getting training for my position?” Dell watched her mannerisms closely, she was mad and he could sense it. But that anger seemed to fuel her desire to succeed more than it dampened it. 

“Well, we should start with introductions.” The large man said. The others turned towards him looking surprised.

“Heavy will start, I am Heavy. Heavy Weapons Guy. I am on defense and I always try to my job to the best of my abilities.” Heavy held his hand out for her to shake it. His hands like the rest of his body were large. Liesel smiled a bit and shook his hand. Heavy seemed kind, he hadn’t said anything bad about her after all. The next to introduce themselves was a man with a hard hat and goggles.

“I’m the Engineer, some opt to call me Engie and you’re more than obliged to.” The man smiled kindly and held his hand out for her. Liesel shook it, the engineer also seemed to not mind her joining the team thankfully.

After introductions, a basic schedule was given to her. The mercenaries had basic chores to do and it was in a rotational order along with a partner, Liesel would start her rotation tomorrow, her partner would be Heavy. Liesel chewed on her lip, she was nervous for this job, hoping her teammates would warm up to her. Tomorrow would be her basic runthrough on weapons and shortly after, her first battle. She dreaded it, scared of failing, scared of dying.                  

Liesel zipped up the asbestos suit, she could feel the sweat already building up. It was uncomfortable and bulky, but this wasn’t a surprise to Liesel. Next, she put on the gas mask, she had to put her long hair up in a bun in order to stuff it all into the mask. She felt claustrophobic, she took a deep breath and walked out to what was called the “Respawn Room.” The other mercenaries stared at her, the younger man who went by the name of Scout scoffed. 

“Looks like any regular Pyro.”

The lanky man from earlier just grumbled at her and turned away. Engineer put a hand on her shoulder.

“You’ll do great Partner.” 

Liesel smiled a bit, she gave him a thumbs up.

“By the way, we can’t really understand what ya say when you’ve got the mask on. So we’ll get a system goin’.” 

The team set out for set up, Heavy gave Liesel tips on where to go, she hid behind a shed so she could sneak attack the enemies from their spawn point. She could feel her heart pounding as the countdown started, a familiar voice leading it. The Administrator.

“Three!...Two!...One!....” There was a pause. “Fight!” The doors to BLU’s spawn opened and the alarm blared, seemingly ringing through her gas mask. A BLU Scout ran out, Liesel immediately blasted her flamethrower at the Scout, he screamed in agony as he desperately called for a Medic. She breathed heavily, she couldn’t believe that she had just done that to someone, but the urge to set more things alight grew and grew. Until she blacked out, nothing but fire. Suddenly, a sharp pain in her back. Liesel felt herself slipping more and more until complete black. She opened her eyes to the respawn room, had she just died? Next to her, stood Medic. He groaned in frustration, he looked over to Liesel and smiled. 

“Ah! Hello  _ mein freund _ ! You look confused.” He stated putting his hands on his hips. Liesel stared at her hands, had she just died? Her thought process was interrupted by the oddly jovial laughter of the doctor. She looked back over at him, he was wiping his eyes with a finger as he calmed down. 

“Nothing to worry about  _ Frau _ ! You just respawned that’s all!” She blinked a few times trying to process what had just happened still. 

“I-I...what?” 

“You respawned-” A distant cry for the doctor was heard, interrupting the conversation. “Ah...excuse me  _ bitte _ , I am a busy man and don’t have the time to explain the mechanism to you. Besides! You should head back out there! You did quite well before that nasty spy backstabbed you!” She paused and was about to say something but the German man had already ran off, she sighed looking down at the flamethrower in her hands. This was her job now, and she just had to get with the program. 

Her next bought ended with a much more painful and traumatic death, the enemy soldier had shot a rocket directly at her. In an instant, pain flared and she was blown to bits. Back to respawn, Liesel couldn’t comprehend what was going on, her knees shook as the urge to burn things grew again. The badgering of her fellow teammates alongside her itchy trigger finger pushed her to walk out of the respawn room. Brought down by a headshot. Respawn. Blown to bits by a pipe bomb. Respawn. Being bashed over the head with a baseball bat. Respawn. This continued on and on until finally, the speakers came back to life.

“Success! We have secured the enemy’s final control point!” The familiar voice of The Administrator echoed throughout the battlefield. Liesel’s flamethrower glowed red along with a few peculiar sparks of electricity coming from it. Her teammates rushed past, starting to bludgeon and shoot at the now defenseless BLU’s. She felt an aggressive shove.

“Get going! Fritz!” Soldier rudely shoved passed her as he ran, attacking the BLU’s. Liesel just stood there. The weight of her situation was now crushing her, she was a mercenary. A part of a team of ruthless killers. 

She didn’t belong here.

“Hah! Frickin’ Engineer had no idea I was up behind him when he was moving his stupid frickin’ toys!” Scout exclaimed as he tossed his baseball up in the air over and over again. Spy cleared his throat.

“I also aided in taking down The Toymaker’s sentry…” The Frenchman said smoothly as he lit another cigarette. Soldier glared at Liesel who was sitting away from the men.

“The Kraut over here didn’t do shit after we won! Would’ve been more points for us... “

Liesel clenched her jaw.

“Poor lass was shaking after that win, don’t blame her. She’s too pretty to be out here doing dirty work.” Demo added, he seemed to pity her more than being angry with her. 

She balled her fists as she listened.

“Ja, she was a bit slow too. However! She did better than I expected.” Medic spoke up with his signature smile.

Just a backhanded compliment, she could feel the anger rising.

“We shouldn’t have girls on this team or any team! It’s just wrong!” Scout asserted as he threw the ball at the wall.

Liesel was about to say something when the large Russian man spoke.

“The woman did great for first round, did lots of damage.”

The room was silent for a bit until another voice spoke.

“Heh, yeah! Hell, a little more trainin’ and she’ll be a fine gal!” Liesel looked towards the Texan. He smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. “After all, we all started out confused and scared in that spawn room…” 

“EXCEPT FOR ME! I WAS  _ BORN _ TO FIGHT!” Soldier yelled, causing some of the men including Liesel to jump. The men just chuckled, they went back to talking about the overall match. Liesel took a deep breath and felt her anger dissipate. She looked at her singed suit, taking off the mask and taking a breath of fresh air. Heavy walked over to her.

“Showers are open, take advantage now while they are still empty. I will make sure nobody will come in while you are in there.” He promised, giving a slight nod. “I know you are angry. Prove them wrong. They are ignorant.” After saying that, he went back to join the others, more like watch as the men continued to gloat over their win. Liesel smiled a bit. Maybe she had made a new friend.

She returned from her shower, finally out of her uncomfortable asbestos suit and into a t-shirt with khaki pants and combat boots. She sat on her bed thinking back to the horrible memories made today, she sighed shutting her eyes. Now she  _ wished _ for prison time. A knock on the door was heard, she took her palms off her face and hesitated before opening up the door. Scout, he looked her up and down before finally speaking. 

“Dinner’s ready, Rookie.” He left shortly after, Liesel could smell the food coming from the living area. It smelled absolutely heavenly as she made her way to the table. Engineer and Medic both stood in the kitchen finishing up cooking. Medic turned to her and smiled. 

“ _ Frau Pyro! _ ”

Engineer tipped his hard hat, did he always wear that thing? 

“Just grab a plate and help yourself  _ Fraulein _ .” Medic added as he grabbed his own food. The mercenaries crowded around the kitchen, most of them pushing Liesel aside. Liesel gritted her teeth, her lips becoming a fine line as she watched them grab their fill. She felt a tap on the shoulder and turned around ready to yell when she saw the tall man standing there.

“It is your turn to take food.” He said simply. She looked ahead of her and noticed that the horde of men was mostly gone. 

“Why didn’t you just go ahead and take your food?” Liesel asked as she walked up to grab a plate, Heavy accompanying her.

“Because you were waiting first. It is rude to go when the person in front has not had chance.” Heavy explained as he grabbed silverware for the both of them. Liesel thanked him quietly with a nod and found her place at the table, for once she was sitting with her teammates. The table was quiet today which was odd to Engineer, but he understood. This was new to all of the men, confusing and wrong to some. He wondered what motivated this woman to apply for such a job. She intrigued him greatly. 

“What did you do before this?” Heavy asked, breaking the silence. Liesel looked at him and paused, was he trying to start a conversation? She smiled shyly.

“I-I was a lawyer in Vienna.” She answered as she ate tidely.

“Vienna… Your clothes gave me the impression you came from a well off family.” The Frenchman mentioned. Liesel was reminded of her sheltered childhood, she nodded slowly.

“I came from a long line of Viennese aristocrats.” The men looked at each other, Demoman looked at her raising a brow.

“If you’re so well off, then why the hell are ya here? You’re a bloody lawyer!” He exclaimed, he was absolutely baffled. Demoman was not the only one who was baffled by this. 

“I said I  _ was _ a lawyer…” She explained. Liesel didn’t like the prodding they were doing, but perhaps this would help the bonding process. 

“What did’ya get arrested for then?”  The Scout asked, Liesel almost choked. Did he know too? “Just askin, cause some of us are here to pay off crimes. Not all of us though.” Liesel calmed down, she wasn’t the only one court ordered here. 

“I…I committed arson on an entire courthouse.” The silence was painful as the men stared at her. Demoman smiled a bit. “No wonder you were picked for a Pyro! You’re perfect for it lass!” He grinned. 

“Wait wait wait, if you worked there why’d you burn it down?” Scout questioned, moving closer and his brows raising in surprise. Liesel paused, she didn’t want to disclose this information, she knew she didn’t necessarily  _ have  _ to but she felt pressured to as the men all stared down at her. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, steepling her fingers as she leaned forward looking directly at Scout.

“I don’t have to disclose  _ why  _ I did it, you asked what brought me here and I told you. That should be enough for you.” She took another deep breath and leaned back in her chair raising a brow and crossing her arms in front of her chest, waiting for a response from the young man. Scout blinked a few times, he assumed she’d give in but she didn’t.

“Fair enough…” He responded back, his hands folding behind his head. Soldier grunted, crossing his arms and gritting his teeth.

“I would never trust a woman to be my lawyer, especially a German!” Liesel and Medic both gave him a look, Liesel sighed and shook her head rubbing her temples.

“I’m not German, I’m Austrian.” She explained exasperatedly.

“There  _ is  _ a difference you know, two whole different countries.” Medic added, raising his index finger.

“You both sound the same so why does it matter?” Scout asked, furrowing his brows. Medic laughed wildly putting a hand on Liesel’s shoulder.

“Trust me, Scout! Austrians are  _ very  _ different from us Germans!” Medic explained, still smiling. “We still share similarities, much like the US and Canada.” 

“CANADA IS FULL OF COWARDLY HIPPIES!” Soldier screamed, slamming his fist on the table and interrupting the doctor. Medic frowned and wrinkled his nose, squinting at Soldier and pausing before continuing. 

“To an untrained ear, German sounds the same from both countries. But actually, Austrians tend to have a more musical sort of way of speaking! Very similar to how Bavarians speak, while Germans tend to have more sharp tones while speaking.” The team seemed bored already but there was no stopping him now. “I find Austrians quite quaint and charming,” He chuckled. “They’re so shy! No wonder they only kiss their women on the hands!” He laughed, Liesel frowned and looked at him.

“You Germans are quite arrogant, you’re all rigid and aggressive. Your people don’t think before they speak.” Liesel jabbed back. Medic paused, surprised she took it as an insult. He quickly frowned.

“And you Austrians take everything we Germans say so seriously. We  _ try  _ and understand you but we can’t! You guys are so reserved! Nobody can understand you!” He retaliated, pushing up his glasses. Liesel scoffed a bit and smirked.

“We Austrians understand you Germans pretty well, but we don’t want to. After all, it’s pointless considering how simplistic you all are.” Medic choked in surprise at the insult and glared at her. 

“ _ Wie kannst du es wagen! Du Schluchtenscheisser ... Geh zurück in die Berge oder scheiße!” _

Liesel’s eyes widened at the crude insult. She tried to bite back her response but it was already too late.

_ “ _ _ Du Arschloch Kraut, halten wir Österreicher wenigstens ihren verdammten Mund! Fülle deinen Mund voll mit Kartoffeln, du Piefke! Saupreiss Ficken. " _ The other mercenaries stared blankly as the two continued to exchange various insults in German, both yelling over each other.

“H-hey! Hey! At least y’all speak the same language!” Engineer interjected. “Now I don’t know what the hell you two are callin’ each other but I know it ain’t nice.” The shorter man waved his hands frantically as he tried to calm the situation down. The two looked at each other and sighed, sitting back down. Fritz frowned, she took pride in her nationality but the Texan was right, it was stupid to go back and forth with each other. 

Once dinner was over, Heavy and Liesel were both on dish duty, the two remained quiet for the majority of the time until the large Russian spoke.

“Doktor did not mean quaint and charming as insult.” He said quietly as he placed a plate on the top shelf. “I think Doktor likes how you speak German, I like it. Sounds pretty.” He added as he placed another on the shelf. Liesel felt a smile tug at her lips, perhaps she had overreacted to what he had said. 

“Thank you.” She replied murmuring. She scrubbed a dish and handed to him working on the next.

“Your English is also very good, maybe you teach Heavy sometime?” He seemed a bit more embarrassed, hesitating more with his words. “I want to learn English so people don't think Heavy is stupid…” He sighed as he set another plate in its place. Liesel blinked a bit, she didn’t see him as stupid at all. More intimidating.

“O-Of course! I’ll be happy to teach you. Maybe you can teach me Russian in return?” She chuckled quietly as she finished up the last plate. The man smiled back, he looked happy.

“Yes, I have PhD in Russian Literature.” He said as he finished up as well, stretching a bit. Liesel knew he was smart but didn’t think he was that smart. She smiled excitedly.

“That’s impressive! I admire literature.” The two walked back to the dorms together, stopping by Heavy’s first. Liesel gave him a small smile. “Goodnight Heavy, see you tomorrow.”

Heavy chuckled and waved. “Goodnight Pyro, you did great job today.” Liesel laughed and sighed, walking to her room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Wie kannst du es wagen! Du Schluchtenscheisser ... Geh zurück in die Berge oder scheiße!” -  
> "How dare you! You Mountain Shitter (weird insult coined by Germans towards Austrians because they live in a mountainous area). Go back to the mountains or some shit!"
> 
> “Du Arschloch Kraut, halten wir Österreicher wenigstens ihren verdammten Mund! Fülle deinen Mund voll mit Kartoffeln, du Piefke! Saupreiss Ficken." - "Asshole Kraut, at least Austrians hold their damn mouths! Go fill your mouth with potatoes instead you Piefke! (last name of some fucking Prussian dude, used as a derogatory term towards Germans by Austrians) Saupreiss (sau- pig in German, preiss/preusse- Prussian) fucker."


	5. Angelika

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for graphic depictions of violence and abuse
> 
>  
> 
> special thanks to a friend on reddit who revises my german into proper austrian german. thanks to them, the austrian-german dialogue can be more accurate :)
> 
> translations will always be at the end in the order that the dialogue is written in

Vienna Austria, 1945. Liesel walked through the halls of the Edelstein estate. The halls were often unoccupied and quiet, aside from the hushed sounds of the piano in the piano room. The 15 year old ambled on through the great hall, reaching the piano room. She slowly opened the door to it and peaked in. There sat her father, Elias Edelstein. He was 64 years old, much older than her mother who was married off to him at 19, now being 34. He was cold and reserved, the only emotions he really did ever show was anger and disappointment. Elias’ fingers danced over the piano keys gracefully as he played the Piano Sonata in B Minor by Franz Liszt. He suddenly stopped, slowly creeping his head towards the door where Liesel hid behind.

 _“_ _Was willsch du_ _?”_ He asked. Liesel cowered more, slinking back slightly.

 _“_ _M-mama hot g'set, das sie will, dass Sie für s' Mittagessa runtrkumma sollan_ _… ”_ Liesel answered, her father cursed under his breath and scowled looking away. He sighed and shut the piano closed and got up pushing the stool in. Elias put out his cigar and glared at Liesel.

 _“_ _Warum starrsch du grad uf mi? Vrschwind verdamt!_ _”_ Elias screamed as he slammed his hand on the table he was nearby. Liesel jumped a bit she quickly apologized and ran off, heading back towards the dining hall. Elias watched as she did, he sighed and looked out the window shaking his head.

 

Liesel ran down the hall and down the large stairway as she tried to keep the tears away, she knew why her father didn’t like her but wished he’d at _least_ give her a chance. She bumped into someone, quickly cowering and apologizing, scared it was one of her half brothers. But no, it was just her mother. The one person she could confide in, the one who shielded her and her other brothers from the brutality that was Elias Edelstein.

“ _Liesel? Was hosch den_ _?”_ Her mother asked, reaching for her. Liesel backed away a bit before realizing there was no threat. She felt her lip tremble as she tried to find the words to speak.

 _“_ _Papa hot mi widr a g'schria_ _…”_ Liesel paused and looked up at her mother before hugging her tightly. Her voice cracking as tears started to flow from her eyes. _“Mama…_ _Warum mag er mich nicht?”_ Her mother paused before combing through Liesel’s hair with her fingers. She sighed as she looked ahead, letting Liesel cry for a bit.

 _“_ _Mach dir kene sorga, min schatz_ _…”_ She said softly, continuing to comfort her daughter. 

 _“Angelika?!”_ Her father screamed out, this caused her and her mother to jump. Her mother looked down at her and smiled softly, wiping her tears.

 _“_ _I kumm zruck._ _”_ She walked away and headed over to her husband.

  
  
  


“Up and at em Maggots!” Soldier screamed as he walked through the halls, knocking on everyone’s doors, Liesel sat up quickly waking up. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, as she got up and got dressed heading towards the kitchen. Most of the men were up, all talking quietly. Excluding Soldier who was still screaming in the hall trying to get the remainder of the mercenaries up. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. There stood Medic, he sighed and set down two cups of coffee, taking a seat next to her.

“I want to apologize for yesterday, I’m sorry if the things I said seemed rude.” He explained as he pushed the cup towards her. She paused, taking the cup and sipping it. Liesel smiled a bit, it was good coffee.

 _“Häferlkaffe…”_ She said quietly while taking another sip. Medic chuckled a bit and smiled back, taking a sip of his coffee as well.

 _“Kaffee mit Milch.”_ He responded, the two laughed a bit.

“Don’t worry about it, I was tense.” Liesel explained as the two sat together. “So? What will we be doing today?” She asked as she drank more of the coffee.

“I think we’re defending the points again, you excited?” He asked grinning at her, Liesel thought back to the last match, she frowned.

“I… I’m still thinking about all of this.” She said slumping a bit. “I guess I shouldn’t _do_ much thinking considering I’m forced to be here.” Liesel continued, swirling her cup a bit. Medic caught onto her nervous demeanor and put a hand on her shoulder.

“See this as an opportunity to grow _Mein Kammerade_.” He gave her a quick grin and got up to take the cups to the sink. He was right, she couldn’t stay scared about this job. Although crazy and violent, she had to accept that this was her reality now. She got up and made herself some buttered toast then went back to the washrooms to take her shower and brush her teeth. As she made her way back to the room, the alarm went off.

 _“Mission in 20 minutes!”_ The woman yelled through the intercoms. Liesel sighed, she hated that woman's voice. She went up to touch the base of her skull, a scab had formed. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes growing wide. Had she been implanted with something while she was unconscious?

“Get goin’ Lass!” Demo barked as he ran past her, Liesel grumbled a bit and started to fast walk to her room. She set down her toiletries and ran back to the respawn room.

“You’re late, Rookie!” Soldier scowled at her as she rushed to get the asbestos suit on.

“I was taking a shower.” She replied. “I didn’t think the match would start so quick.” Scout rolled his eyes at her. She shot him a short glare before putting on the gas mask. Her anxiety started to rise as the mask came on, she felt that familiar urge once more but tried to keep herself calm. She could let it out on the battlefield, she told herself as the team ran out into position. She hid behind a shed, making sure her eyes were on the point at all times. The BLU team were already at their spawn doors, watching the RED’s hungrily. Liesel’s finger graced over the trigger of her flamethrower as the countdown started once again.

 _“Three… Two… One…”_ Another excruciatingly long pause. _“Fight!”_ She could feel her heart thumping in her throat as the sirens blared, ringing in her ears. Her knees shook and her breath quickened, she was going to die. Right here. Right now. Suddenly, everything went black.

 

 

 _“Mama…?”_ The estate was quiet and dark, besides the distant rumble of thunder and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the windows. Liesel had forgotten to give her mother a note from school, she couldn’t find her in the study though. Or in the bedroom with her father. Liesel was confused and disoriented as she continued to walk through the huge halls. Unexpectedly, the plinking of piano keys rang throughout the halls. But this wasn’t the piano being played. The notes were loud and dissonant, no sort of structure or method to the placement of them. It was as if someone was mashing the keys wildey with their fists, perhaps it was her youngest brother, Felix. Still, she couldn’t help but check it out, surely her father would’ve scolded him by now, or her mother. Where were they? As she got closer to the piano room, screams could be heard along with things being knocked over. She jumped back, her eyes as wide as saucers. A conversation could be heard, more like an argument. Two familiar voices as well. Her father and her mother.

 

 _“Du Schlampa!”_ She recognized the sound of her father, more blows were heard but Liesel was frozen.

The sharp noises of crying and hard slapping resonated through the walls of the piano room.

 _“Hör bitte uf  Elias! Es tuat mir leid!”_ Her mother pleaded. Liesel carefully paced towards the slightly open door, she peaked in to see a scene of chaos. The intricate china, glassware, and ornaments had been smashed on the ground. Curtains ripped, water from the vase of flowers had been spilt. Her mother managed to escape her father’s grasp, running to hide behind a turned over table. From the way her father spoke, she could tell he was drunk again.

 _“Du Huara! Kasch du nix richtig macha? Alles, was du tua musch, isch sich us minam vrdamta weg usa zum halta!”_ Elias stomped over to her mother, both fists clenched as his teeth gritted. _“Angelika! Kumm jez usi!”_ He threw the table aside like nothing, she scurried away before he could punch at her causing him to punch the table. He yelled out in pain as he glared at Angelika, grabbing the table leg and ripping it off. He walked slowly towards her, the room now silent besides the footsteps and the heavy breathing coming from both. Angelika slowly backed up until she bumped into the piano.

 _“Elias, bitte. Lass üs damit ufhöra, ich will des nüma macha ... I ka des nich mer macha! I-Ich möcht a Scheidig Elias, und I möcht mine Kinder neh.”_ He grabbed her wrist and raised the table leg, his cold blue eyes boring into her.

 _“I b’siz  di, Angelika, dia Kinder ghöran auch mir. Du beibsch bei mir bis zum Tag, an dem ich stirb!”_ He struck her once, a loud scream along the sickening dissonance chord heard as he pushed her up against the piano. One more, one more, one more… Then silence.

 

Liesel snapped back to reality. In front of her, the burning body of a spy laid. Liesel blinked, her hands were shaking as she clutched the flamethrower and backed away. The memories of her past were starting to draw her back in when suddenly, the hum of a machine could be heard. Liesel turned around to see Medic. He was healing her, he smiled and chuckled. “You looked like you needed a healing _mein freund_!” Liesel paused before answering, she laughed nervously.

“Y-Yeah… I guess I did need a healing.” She started to run off to defend the point, Medic following her.

 _You can’t let this hold you back Liesel, you can’t black out._ She told herself as she ran, the enemy Engineer backed up into her and she set him alight, trying her hardest to stay present. An enemy soldier shot a rocket at her, she airblasted it and sent it back towards him, hitting him. She continued to defend 

and die, defend and die, defend and die. It was a never ending cycle for her, but she stayed present. Now using strategy as she ran throughout the battlefield.

“Spy sappin’ my sentry!” Engineer screamed as he tried to get the sapper off, Liesel ran over holding the trigger down as she tried to set the spy on fire, screaming was heard as the spy decloaked. Engineer looked at her and smiled, wiping the sweat off his brow. “Thank you kindly.” He tipped his hard hat and got back to work. The RED’s eventually lost, Liesel’s weapon just stopped working when their loss was announced. She ran back to the respawn room but the BLU’s followed in, cruelly killing her and her teammates. Once she awoke, she had spawned back into the base. Scout waved his hand in front of her face over and over again. “Poor gal, they got her good.” He said as Liesel stood there, her knees shaking. Medic walked up to her, he had noticed a pattern in her behavior on the battlefield. She didn’t seem lucid most of the time she was there and when she was she seemed absolutely horrified with the events unfolding. Perhaps there was more to this woman then just being a pyromaniac, there was probably some form of dissociation taking place every time something traumatic occured. The doctor frowned as he shook her slightly, this would definitely be a problem. Liesel blinked a few times, coming to. She looked around in fear before realizing she was safe.

“Wh-What happened?!” She stuttered out as she touched her chest. Scout sighed with annoyance.

“We lost, Fritz. When we lose, our weapons just stop working and the other team’s weapons become overpowered. The more of us they kill the more points and pay they get.” He explained before looking away. Liesel’s past memories intermingled with the new ones she had just made, she felt her breathing quicken and her vision becoming blurry. Her fingertips becoming numb as her body fought to not panic, a hand on her back dissipated that feeling.

“It’s ok darlin’, but there’s no need to panic alright? We’re back here and we’re safe.” The texan said as he continued to rub her back. Her breathing slowed but the feeling still stayed, she needed to get this utterly claustrophobic mask off, before she threw up in it or something. She scrambled to get the mask off as she quickly walked away from the group of men, embarrassed that they had witnessed her in a moment of weakness. The anxiety was too overwhelming as she felt it creep up her esophagus, she took a detour and bolted towards the bathrooms instead of her room and vomited. With each spasm of nausea, she’d let out a choked sob. This job was worse than prison, this job was hell. Hell and a reminder of events she wished she could forget. Liesel felt herself grow weak as she stood up, her vision blurring. The only thing she could see were the cold blue eyes of Elias Edelstein. White noise followed as her vision turned to nothing but a cold black abyss.

 

“Frau Pyro… Frau Pyro…?! Frau Pyro!” Liesel sat up, knocking her head hard into someone else’s. Medic stepped back a bit and swore under his breath in German. Liesel groaned and rubbed her head, she peaked out of the corner of her eye and saw the doctor clutching his head as Engineer ran off to get ice.

 _“Es tuat mir leid Doktor!”_ She shook her head a bit trying to correct herself and speak _Hoch Deutsch_ instead of her Austrian dialect. “I-I mean! _Es tut mir leid!_ ” She said, correcting herself as she got off the examination table and helped him to his feet. He shooed her off with his hands as he continued to grumble angrily.

 _“Was ist in dich gefahren?!”_ He asked angrily as he stood up and sat on the examination table. Engineer handed him the ice, he snatched it exasperatedly and held it to his head. Liesel rubbed her own head and looked away. 

“I’m sorry…” She repeated again, this time in English. Engineer just looked at the two as they stood there silently.  The doctor sighed and shook his head, looking back up at her.

“No, no. It’s ok, I just overreacted.” He said getting off the table. “Engineer found you on the bathroom floor passed out, so he brought you to me.” Medic explained as he brushed off his shirt.

“She didn’t hit her head or anythin’ right doc?” Engineer asked, turning to Medic. Medic shook his head before laughing a bit. “Well maybe she’ll have some acute trauma now.” He joked, making Liesel smile. Medic turned towards Engineer, clearing his throat. “If you don’t mind _Herr Engineer,_ I’d like to talk to our Pyro alone for a bit.” He requested, waiting for a response. Engineer paused before nodding, stammering on his words a bit as he spoke.

“ ‘Course Doc.” He tipped his hard hat at the two then left the lab room. Medic’s smile faded as he turned to Liesel.

“ _Frau Edelstein-”_ Liesel quickly corrected the doctor before he could continue.

“Just…Just Liesel, o-or Pyro please.” She sat back on the exam table as he stared at her.

“Apologies, anyways I’d like to ask you a very important question.” He continued on, clasping his hands behind his back. “Do you suffer from any other sort of anxiety disorder?” Medic asked rather forwardly.

“N-None that I know of.” Liesel answered, she didn’t want to seem more weak if she answered yes. He paused, stroking his chin.

“Tell me then, what do you experience when on the battlefield?” Medic continued to press for answers, for a diagnosis. Liesel was hesitant to answer this as well. How would he react to her answer?

“W-Well, my heart races when I put the mask on. Then I feel lightheaded and my hands go numb and then suddenly-”

“Suddenly everything goes dark and then you find yourself in some other place you don’t remember going to?” He asked, raising a brow. He had hit the nail right on the head, that’s exactly how it happened.

“Yes actually… I don’t like mentioning it, is it common?” She asked him, watching him pace slowly around the room.

“Sometimes, after all this is a new environment for you. My question is, did this happen that day in the courthouse?” Liesel’s breath hitched upon the mention of the incident.   
“Y-Yes…” Medic simply just nodded, stopping in place before turning to her.

“That’s all I needed to know, you should be fine to go now. Water and a bit of food wouldn’t be too bad for you.” He added as he looked straight at her.

Liesel’s eyes grew wide, what would he do with this information? Deem her hysterical and have her contract terminated? She didn’t have time to think about his intentions, and decided it would be best to just leave. Before exiting the large swinging doors, the German called out.

‘Stop by the lab at around 7:30 tonight please.” Liesel stopped and stared at him before leaving.

 

Her hands started to grow numb.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was willsch du? - What do you want?  
> M-mama hot g'set, das sie will, dass Sie für s' Mittagessa runtrkumma sollan. - Mama said its time for lunch, she wanted me to get you.  
> Warum starrsch du grad uf mi? Vrschwind verdamt! - Why are you staring at me? Get the hell out of here!  
> Liesel? Was hosch den? - Liesel? What's wrong?  
> Papa hot mi widr a g'schria. - Papa screamed at me.  
> Mama… Warum mag er mich nicht? - Mama... Why doesn't he like me?  
> Mach dir kene sorga, min schatz. - Don't worry darling.  
> I kumm zruck. - I'll be back  
> Du Schlampa! - You Bitch!  
> Hör bitte uf Elias! Es tuat mir leid! - Please stop Elias! I'm sorry!  
> Du Huara! Kasch du nix richtig macha? Alles, was du tua musch, isch sich us minam vrdamta weg usa zum halta! - You Whore! Can't you do anything right? All you have to do is stay out of my fucking way!  
> Angelika! Kumm jez usi! - Angelika, come out now!  
> Elias, bitte. Lass üs damit ufhöra, ich will des nüma macha ... I ka des nich mer macha! I-Ich möcht a Scheidig Elias, und I möcht mine Kinder neh. - Elias, please. Let's stop, I do not want to do this anymore ... I can't do this anymore! I-I want a divorce Elias, and I want to take my children.  
> I b’siz di, Angelika, dia Kinder ghöran auch mir. Du beibsch bei mir bis zum Tag, an dem ich stirb! - I own you, Angelika, these children are mine too. You will stay with me until the day I die!  
> Es tuat mir leid Doktor! - I'm sorry Doctor  
> Was ist in dich gefahren?! - What is wrong with you?!


	6. Fritz

“I wanna see you do five more reps, rookie!” Soldier screamed at Liesel, the two had been training together at the gym. The man had insisted on doing so after the round, insisting that she “beef up” in his words. Liesel rolled her eyes and did five more laps around the perimeter of the gym. Demo peaked in, watching as Soldier screamed at her while simultaneously running with her, he ran up to the two and stopped them in their tracks.

“Bloody hell, Soldier! Are ya tryin’ to kill the poor lass?” He exclaimed, not afraid to get into Soldier’s face.

“I’m getting this sorry Fritz prepared physically for men’s work! She oughta pick it up quick or God so help me!” Soldier responded, crossing his arms. Liesel just bent over, holding her knees as she caught her breath.

“Yer overworkin’ her. Train her but don’t _kill_ her.” Demo said sternly as he looked over to the sweaty woman. “Besides, dinner is ready. So you both can take a break from this.” Soldier frowned.

“There are no breaks in war Demoman! I am implementing that mindset into this cadet’s brain!” He retorted, poking a finger into Demo’s chest. Demo just huffed, rolling his eye.

“Well, yer a bloody lunatic.” Demo turned to Liesel, holding his hand out. “If Soldier wants to miss out on Heavy’s famous stew then he can. _We’ll_ enjoy it.” The man flashed her a smile, continuing to hold his hand out for her until she took it. Soldier just pouted and turned away from the two.

“I will not be a slave of communist mind control via that stew!” He said proudly. “I will only ever eat the rations provided to me by the God-given American who delivers them or I will eat Engie’s good American home cooked meals! Nothing more, nothing less! Amen!” He waited for a response before turning around. The two of them had already left, Soldier sighed and shook his head. “God damn you, Heavy’s communist stew.”

 

Liesel suddenly remembered she was supposed to help Heavy out. “Oh shoot! I forgot he’s my chore partner!” She panicked as a wave of guilt washed over her, Demoman just laughed, patting her back.

“No worries lass, he likes to do kitchen duty alone anyways! Plus he knew you were with that American lunatic!” Demo chuckled a bit as he continued to walk with her. Liesel didn’t realize she’d been clutching his arm this entire time. Her face flushed red and her ears were set ablaze as she quickly pulled away mumbling a sorry as she tried to calm herself. This just made the Scotsman laugh more, chortling heartily as he walked with her.

“You’re a riot Fritz! You worry too much!” He said as he started to calm down from his laughing fit. Liesel gave him a small shy smile, he was very kind to her and she appreciated this. Hopefully, she’d be accepted by her other teammates too. “Hey, speakin’ o’which. You don’t mind if I call ya Fritz or Pyro right? Soldier seems to only call you Fritz but I kinda like that nickname, even if it’s meant badly towards you.” Liesel hadn’t even realized that she was being called Fritz. She quickly nodded, flashing another smile at him.

“Of course! I don’t mind.” The two made their way to the dining hall, the delicious smell of the food filling the room. Liesel’s mouth already watering as she grabbed a plate. The stew wasn’t quite a stew and more of a chicken mixed with rice sort of thing, either way, it looked great. Liesel packed it onto her plate before taking her seat at the table. Medic looked at her, then at the empty seat beside her cocking his head.

“Where’s Soldier? I need to examine him! He had a piece of shrapnel in his shoulder that needed removal.”

“He’s in…the training gym.” Liesel said she was surprised she hadn’t noticed the wound. More surprised he hadn’t gone to the doctor to get it treated. She watched as Medic ran off hurriedly, he didn’t seem concerned more excited to see the effects of the shrapnel on his battered brain. Demo set his plate beside hers and took Soldier’s seat. 

“So? Got any interestin’ stories from your time as a lawyer?” He asked, attempting to start a conversation. Liesel thought for a bit, she hadn’t actually ever been asked such a question yet. It took her a moment to think about an answer before replying.

“Woman who went mad and killed her children and the dog blamed her husband on the entire thing who had been missing for 15 years and put off as legally dead.” She paused as she ate neatly, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a tissue. “Turns out the man never died and had been coming in the house and terrorizing the woman.” Demo’s eye was wide, he blinked a few times before speaking again.

“They charged him right?” Liesel nodded, the case was unforgettable for her as it was for the entire courthouse.

“The woman was beyond repair though, sent to an asylum. I think she’s still there now.” Liesel said as she took a sip of the pop she had grabbed from the fridge. Demo muttered a ‘damn’, the others were now tuned into the story.

“What’s another interestin’ story?” Scout asked as he went to town on a piece of bread. Liesel just sighed, it was hard to remember many interesting stories. She mostly dealt with custody battles and domestic violence charges.

“I can’t quite name one right now, I mostly just specialized in marital or custody battles, divorces, boring stuff like that. I don’t know how I was chosen that day for that particular case but I was,” she chuckled to herself, lifting the spoon to her mouth. “It was worth it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.” She took a bite listening to the men humming in interest. Medic came back, his vest bloodied and sweat on his brow, he gave a heft exhale and chuckled.

“Oh, you guys missed it! You should’ve seen the amount of hemorrhaging going on, it was amazing! He was still fully conscious the entire time!” Medic exclaimed with veracity. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Heavy coughed into his fist in an attempt to make the situation less awkward, a few more seconds of silence and staring at the German man.

“Doktor...please sit and eat.” Heavy simply said. The man paused, his wild smile fading before it returned, spreading across his face as he went to wash his hands.

“Oh! I should also add that Soldier will not be coming over for dinner…” He grabbed his plate and hummed as he sauntered over to the table, setting his plate down an tucking in. As the team ate and talked, Liesel probed her memory. _“What was that other case?”_ It was in the front of her mind, just a finger length out of reach. Her brain wouldn’t allow her access so she gave up and finished up her dinner.

  


After dinner, the men retreated back to their rooms or sat around in the living room. Scout and Spy were whining about having to clean the table while Engineer badgered them on. She looked up at the clock, which was ticking away quite annoyingly. 7:35 pm. Liesel paused, was she supposed to be going anywhere? She gasped out loud, she had forgotten about stopping by the lab. Liesel sprung out of her spot on the couch and ran off, she did not want to find out what would happen if she was late. She huffed as she navigated through the confusing halls, she still wasn’t accustomed to the layout of the base making getting to the lab quickly so much harder for her. She finally got to the lab, sweating a bit and out of breath.

“I-I’m…here.” Medic looked up from his desk, he chuckled a bit stroking his chin.

“You’re ten minutes late _Frau Pyro_.” His tone was calm yet somehow menacing as he folded his hands on the desk. Liesel gulped a bit, taking a seat at the chair in front of his desk. 

“I forgot. I apologize.” She said shakily as she tried to catch her breath. Medic hummed as he got up from his desk, walking over to a cabinet.

“It’s ok it’s ok,” Medic assured as he looked through the cabinet. “It wasn’t too urgent anyways.” He let out a small surprised gasp as he found what he was looking for, reaching in to get whatever it was. Once he got ahold of it, he pulled the object out with pride and held it up as if he were showing off a fancy medal or trophy. It was a pill bottle, the regular dark orange tinted glass bottles with the white caps. The label was blank with no patient details or doctor’s signature. Nothing on the label except for a name, two actually. _Clonazepam (KLONOPIN)._  Liesel tilted her head a bit, mouthing the word over and over again.

“What’s this for?” She asked as he pulled up a stool beside her, fetching a cup with water while shaking out a pill.

“Well,” He said as he wrote down the name of the medication and her name. “It was discovered first and shown to help prevent seizures but-”

“I don’t have seizures, Doctor…” Medic gave her an annoyed look then continued.  
“ _But_ ,” He continued exasperatedly. “It was shown to also help with anxious distresses, people who often panicked.” Medic took her hand and dropped the pill into it, closing her fist over it. He looked back up at her with his cold blue eyes.   
“ _Frau Pyro,_ after analyzing your symptoms, I have deemed you hysterical.” Liesel froze, her eyes wide. She was about to lose this job. “Now, normally I would have called the Administrator by now. You would’ve been thrown back in jail and so on.” He swiveled around in the stool and grabbed the cup. “However, with us being a man short, we cannot afford to lose someone.” He held the cup out for her to grab. “Do you understand _Fraulein_?” Liesel stared at him before nodding slowly. He gave her a small smile and nodded back. “Good, good.” He gestured for her to take the medicine. “Now go on, take the pill. It’ll help a lot, help you not dissociate while we fight.” Liesel hesitated before popping the pill in her mouth and washing it down with the water. Medic watched as she did this and smiled.

“You may feel a bit drowsy for a week as your body adjusts but overall, it shouldn’t be too hard on you.” He patted her knee then got up to go back to his desk, getting back to his papers. “Come back noon, tomorrow and then again at the same time also…you’ll be taking this from now on.” Liesel was about to ask something but he interrupted. “You may leave now.” He said smoothly with a small smile on his face as he continued to write. Liesel sighed and turned away, walking back to her room. For all she knew, the doctor had just poisoned her. She tried not to think about it now, the day was over and the next day was creeping up on them. Might as well rest while she could. Liesel laid back in her bed, curling up on her side.

“Klonopin…” She muttered to herself quietly before she fell asleep.


End file.
